Liquid-flow meter.



C. E. ANDERSON.

LIQUID FLOW METER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 17. 1914.

L1 6L2?9. Patented Nov. 23, 19M.

CHARLES E. ANDERSON, OF NEEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

LIQUID-FLOW METER. I

L itgj g yg Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Qctober 17 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Gimmes E. Alvin-2n- SON, a citizen oi the United States, residing at Needham, in the county of Norfolk and Commonwealth of illassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Liquid-Flow Meters, oil which the :lollowing is. a specification.

My invention relates to liquid-flow meters of a type commonly used in conm pti on with the water supply for steam boilers wherein a recording instrument in connection with the meter tank and operating through the rise and fall or a float registers the amount of water flowing through a notch in a partition plate within the tankv It has been the special object of my in- Vention to so construct and arrange my de- Vice that the accuracy of the recording in strument may be tested and the instrument adjusted without interruption. of the How of Water through the meter tank to the boiler.

The use of my improvement is, therefore, designed to eliminate the necessity of cutting out a meter and interrupting the [low of water through it while testing the accuracy of the adjustment of the ri-zcordlng instrument. This obiect I have acconiplishcd by providing means for drawing water from the float chamber until its level is that of the apex of the notch or \veir in the still Water chamber without regard to the height of water in this chamber, which is normally in communication with the float chamber, and by providing further means for deter. mining accurately when this level has been attained.

My invention may be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which-- Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-section of a meter tank with its contents and connections, showing a side view of a case for holding a recording instrument mounted thereon. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on line 2-2 on Fig. 1 viewed in the direction indicated by the arrow, showing more 1nirticularly the notch plate and means forinterruptingand diverting the flow of water between the still water chamber and the float chamber.

Referring now more specifically to the drawing A is a rectangular tank to which is connected a supply pipe 13 emptying into the down-take chamber (J which is separated from the still water chamber D by the baille plate 0 which quiets the agitation of the Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

Serial No. 867,171.

water as it enters through the supply pipe The notch plate l5 constitutes the end wall oi the still water chamber and is provided with a weir or notch 0 through which water may flow into the out-board chamber l1 and thence through outlet Ur to the boiler feed-pump or other destination. A pipe ll connects the still water chamber with the lloat chamber 1 and being normally open the water in chambers l) and l is thus maintained normally at the same levels and the rise and fall thereof actuates the float J which operates through the stem j an in- .dicator (not shown) of any well-known type which may be enclosed in case K. Pipe ll is provided with a valve It which is normally kept open. A riser h extends up wardly from pipe H to the level of the apex of the notch c and is provided with a valve It which is normally kept closed. These valves 7t and it are controlled by stems It and 10* which protrude through the side of the tank A and are provided with handles L and M whereby they may be operated.

The float chamber 1 has vents in order that the water therein may rise and fall freely under the same pressure as that O}. the still water chamber. The pipe LT runs from the lloat chamber through the side of tank A and enters a water gage glass U which is vented at its top by a pipe a which enters tank A, thereby insuring the same pressure in the water gage glass as is encountered by the liquid within. the tank. The pipe N is provided with a pet-cock n, tl'irough which water may be drawn oil. Within the water gage glass is a metal pointer I the top of which may be. adjustable so that it may be accurately positioned at the same level as the apex of the notch c and the top of the riser pipe it.

The operation of my device is as follows: It is n be assumed that the meter has been set in a position so that the top of the pointer P is at the same level as the apex of notch c. \Vater is flowing from the still water chamber D through the weir or notch e, the water in the chamber D being conscqucntly at a substantially higher level than the apex or notch-z and standing at the same level in the float chamber I, thereby causing a certain positioning of float J and its stein j, and consequently resulting in a certain reading on the dial or indicator of the recording instrument to which it is at tached. It will be readily understood that valve h is in its normal open position and valve 7& is in its normal closed position. If new it is desired to determine whether the recording instrument has been moved upward from a correctly established zero reading so that its present reading is accurate this may be done by reducing the level of the water in float chamber I to that of the apex of notch e, which is the so-called zero levelabove which the rise of water in float chamberl' actuates the recording instru- 'ment. :To accomplish this valve h is closed and valve k is opened, thereby permitting Water toflow out of the float chamber I through pipe H and riser it until the level of water in float chamber 1 is reduced to 'the'level'of the top of riser pipe It which is at the zero level or level of the apex of notch e.

. This operation may not be accurate owing to'ti'iction in the pipe H and riser h and owingaf urtherto capillary attraction and to the surface tension of the wate at the top 3 0f riser pipe h In order to correct this "possible inaccuracy the state of the gage glass'O should be carefully observed and if the Zero pointer is still slightly submerged at small amount of water may be withdrawn from float chamber 1 by opening pet-cock "n thus obtaining the necessary correct adjustment of zero level in float chamber I and 1 causing the float J to fall to this level, thereby giving a Zero reading of the recording instrument it this instrument itself is in proper adjustment, which is the fact to be determined, and which adjustment may be made if the dial reading of the recording instrument is notnow at zero.

.Itis obvious that by closing the passage through pipe ll the wat-r may be with-' drawn from the float chamber I to zero level by various means which maybe readily provided. It might be done for instance 'whol-ly through the pet-cock n although this would be a veryslow method and the apparatus which I have above described, namely riser pipe h, is to be of such substantial diameter that the flow of 'ater through it will speedily reduce the level of the water in the float chamber so that a test may be quickly finished and the measurement of the flow of water resumed, it being Obvious that the flow oi water through the notch or weir into the out-board chamber and thence to the feed pump has not been interrupted duringthis process of reducing the level of waterin the float tank and checking the correctness of the recording in stri'nnent. as above set forth.

ner whereby liquid may be withdrawn front said float chamber until its level is that of the lowest point of said outlet.

2. In a device of the character specified the combination of a chamber provided with an outlet to a flow of water to bem .asured, a float chamber, a float therein, a recording instrument actuated by said float, a passage connecting said chambers, means for closing'said passage, means for reducing the level of liquid in said float chamber to the level of the lowest point of said outlet, and

,means for determining accurately when said level of said liquid has been obtained.

3. In a device of the character specified the combination of a chamber provided with an outlet for a flow of water to be measured, a float chamber, a float therein, a recording instrument actuated by said float, a passage connecting said chambers, means for closing said passage, a pipe communicating with said float chamber and rising to the level of the lowest point of said outlet, a valve whereby said pipe may be controlled to permit the withdrawal of water from said float chamber, a gage glass connected with said chamber and provided with a pointer designed to indicate when the level of water in said gage glass and float chamber is that of thelowest point of said outlet, and a supplementary means for withdrawing a small quantity of liquid from said float chamber.

4. \Veir measuring apparatus comprising a chamber provided with a weir outlet and a float chamber separate from the first mentioned chamber, a float therein, .tlow exhibiting mechanism actuated by said float, and in combination therewith, a level indicating {rage for accurately indicating when the level in said float chamber bears a predetermined relation to the level oi the lowest point of said outlet. valved means connecting said chambers whereby a liquid level equalizing; connection between said chambers may be maintained or interrupted. and mains for varying the liquid accumulation in said float chamber when said connection is interrupted to thereby bring the liquid level in the float chamber into said predetermined relation.

In witness whereof I have hereunto setmy hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

CHARLES E. ANDERSON.

i tnesses:

M. l). OCoNNeLL, JAMES J. COOGAN. 

